The Union information and broadcasting ministry has ordered an Assamese television channel to go off the air for three days and a Gujarati channel for a day for violating the cable television network rules.

The ministry’s decision comes after an inter-ministerial committee that has representatives from ministries including, defence, external affairs, women and child welfare, home affairs and culture found DY 365 TV and VTV guilty of breaching the provisions of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

The ministry ordered DY 365 TV, which aired a programme in 2016, showing newborn babies being tossed in the air following a ritual in Assam, off the air from December 15 to 18. VTV, which broadcast a programme showing children being beaten in an orphanage in Egypt but presented it as an incident that occurred in Gujarat, will be taken off air on December 17.

“The video meant to expose an extremely dangerous superstition allegedly prevalent in some parts of Assam where people believe that undergoing this ritual will keep the child safe. The visuals are extremely disturbing and not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition,” the ministry said in its order regarding DY 365.